Grand Theft Auto V’s online mode won’t be available at launch.

Rockstar lifted the lid on Grand Theft Auto Online yesterday and oh man, it looked incredible. The 16 player MMO (as it’s been dubbed) won’t be available at launch Rockstar also announced yesterday.

Grand Theft Auto Online will actually be coming two weeks after launch, completely free of charge, the reason for this? “We want to give people an opportunity to actually get their heads around what’s happened, because even single-player is a big advancement from the old games,” Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies explained in a UK exclusive interview with CVG. “There’s a lot of new things to learn.”

Many have speculated that Grand Theft Auto V and the online mode which has been given the title Grand Theft Auto Online will be two totally separate games and in a sense they’re right. Rockstar could have released the online mode at launch but instead are allowing players the chance to get used to the gameplay mechanics in the safety of the single player campaign.

“We could, but we want it to be known as a different entity, a separate thing, and it’ll grow on its own. It’ll be GTA Online; it’s not part of GTA 5. Obviously it’s set in the GTA 5 engine, but it’s going to grow and evolve into its own thing.”

The files for Grand Theft Auto Online will actually be shipping on disc for Grand Theft Auto V but after two weeks time will be required to install a “tiny” update to unlock the online mode.

Awh, thanks Rockstar!

Grand Theft Auto V is scheduled to launch on September 17 with the online mode to follow two weeks later.